A lot of people ask me what happened to the Orlando Magic. What happened was that they ran into a very good team who was playing very well!

Detroit is a savvy, veteran-oriented team that isn’t going to be rattled. That was proven when the Pistons fell behind in the first round, only to respond with three straight wins to oust Philadelphia.

In this round, Detroit brought its A-game to the table, and there aren’t a lot of teams in the NBA that can match it.

While it was a tough finish for Orlando, this was a great building block for what the type of team they are building there. The Magic has a lot of young talented players that will only get better in the coming years. If the team addresses its weakness in the backcourt, it will be a major player in the Eastern Conference.

To the other series …

Boston flexed its muscles in the first two games at home and can’t buy a game on the road. Now the Celtics do have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, but the team and their fans would sleep better at night knowing that they could win a game on the road.

You also have to give credit to this Cleveland team. The Cavaliers got knocked around pretty good in Game 2, but they answered with a statement in their two wins. Game 5 is always pivotal in a series, but Cleveland needs to take advantage of the momentum it has if it wants to advance because the last thing it wants is a Game 7 in Boston.

The other series with a big Game 5 is the Lakers and Jazz. Utah surprised me with how well it was able to contain the Lakers in its two wins to even the series. With Kobe Bryant banged up, Utah might be able to pull off this upset. The Lakers have played well at home, and Utah didn’t match up well in the first two games.

Last, but certainly not least, the Spurs have to win the next two games to keep their season alive. San Antonio showed a lot in its two wins at home, but for the third time in the series couldn’t keep up with the Hornets. Chris Paul continues to impress me with his maturity and leadership on the floor. He certainly doesn’t look like a guy making his first playoff appearance.

San Antonio has its hands full trying to send this series back to New Orleans. Anytime Tim Duncan is held to 10 points, you have a chance to win against the Spurs. They really need Duncan to be a scoring threat as well as find somebody to slow down David West, who put up 38 points in Game 5.

The Spurs have played the role of defending champion well, but it looks like they have run into a very good team that is deserving of knocking off the champion.

As the conference semifinals are underway, there are some interesting matchups of young and old teams colliding.

But before we jump too far into the semis, we need to put the finishing touches on the first round as Boston was the only team to play a seven-game series. In Game 7 against the Atlanta Hawks, the Celtics established that they were back and that the series shouldn’t have gone as long as it did.

In the final game, Boston got back to what it does to win games — playing good team rotating defense and moving its feet. This was a direct contrast to the previous game, as Paul Pierce and Ray Allen played poor defense and were unable to stop any of the Hawks from driving to the basket.

I will say that I’m disappointed with how the Hawks came out in the final game. They have tremendous athletes and knew what it was going to take to win; I’m just surprised that they didn’t put up much a fight. They knew they had Boston on the ropes, and instead of bringing their “A” game, they brought their “C-” game, and the Celtics won in a rout.

With that said, the Celtics have been exposed as being soft as Atlanta was able to get physical and take it to them. This bodes well for the Cleveland Cavaliers because they will bring a physical presence. They don’t necessarily have the personnel to match up individually, but they will play a physical style on both ends.

The Cavs are going to try to push the ball down Boston’s throat. Pierce or whoever guard LeBron James will have a tough challenge. He’s going to hit a couple of jumpers, but he wants to drive the ball to the basket and create opportunities not just for him, but his supporting cast.

One thing in Cleveland’s favor is they have more playoff experience than Boston. The Celtics are much more talented, but the Cavs’ experience and physicality will give them a chance in this series.

In the other semifinal matchup, Orlando was robbed of a great opportunity in Game 2 against Detroit. It’s disappointing to see the referees make a mistake that creates such a huge swing in the game, especially when all they had to do was watch the clock.

For the Magic, Hedo Turgolu has disappeared and isn’t the same player that he was in the first round or during the regular season. He isn’t making any contributions whatsoever. On the positive side, Rashard Lewis has stepped up and made a difference, along with Orlando’s outside shooting, which was pivotal to the Magic getting back into the game.

But with all of that as background, Detroit is pretty focused right now. The one thing that gives Orlando a chance in the series is that Detroit will allow its opponents to get back into the game. Hopefully, the Magic will gain some confidence because it matched up very well late in Game 2.

After an impressive first round against Phoenix, it looks like my San Antonio Spurs are in trouble, and I really think that series took everything out of them. Chris Paul is phenomenal for New Orleans and has made Tony Parker look like he’s exhausted and ready to call it a summer, like many guys on the team.

It looks more and more like the Lakers and Hornets will play for the Western title. Those two teams have held serve at home, and while they face stiff tests on the road, they both have confidence and momentum on their side entering Game 3.

I’m hesitant on making a prediction on that series until I watch a game. Both teams are tremendously talented, with two of the best players in the league in Paul and Kobe Bryant. I think it will make for a great series.

How about these Atlanta Hawks? They won’t go away, will they!

They have found a way to win every game at home in this series, denying Boston the knockout that it so desperately wants. This is a young group that has been the story of the first round of the playoffs.

Even more important is that the Hawks are now relevant in Atlanta again, which will help attendance next year as this team should be able to make some moves to become a contender in the Eastern Conference.

Another young player who is doing his job is LeBron James. He does such a good job in leading his team, knowing when to score, when to set up others and who to get it to when they are hot.
Washington tried to be more physical with him in the series, but that didn’t work out as well as the Wizards thought it would.

Cleveland now gets to sit back and watch whether it gets these amazing Hawks or the Celtics, exhausted from a seven-game series in the first round. Should it be Boston, the Cavaliers match up well with the top-seeded team in the conference and will be able to do some things against them.

A young Orlando team will get a big dose of playoff experience in the second round against a physical and veteran Detroit squad. The Pistons are such a good team that they can turn it on when they want to, and after losing in Philadelphia, they turned it on and put the 76ers away.

That is going to be an interesting matchup. How do the young guys in Orlando, namely Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis, handle the talented and battle-tested Pistons? Orlando’s guard play will determine its fate as it has to slow down Chauncey Billups to have a chance.

Looking to the West, the Spurs came through with an impressive performance in the fourth quarter to eliminate the pesky Phoenix Suns. I’ve read where a lot of people believe San Antonio just cruises through the regular season and turns the switch in the playoffs. I don’t know how much of it is true, but I will say the Spurs have another gear when it comes to the playoffs. Plus, they don’t panic about winning games during the regular season – they let guys heal up and make sure they are ready for the playoffs. Throw in a coach in Gregg Popovich, who knows what he’s doing, and you’ve got a recipe for deep runs in the playoffs and a shot at the title every year.

The Lakers took care of business in ousting Denver. Kobe Bryant has accepted the leadership role in Los Angeles and taken this team to another level quickly, with the help of Pau Gasol. They get Utah in the next round, which will create an interesting matchup for the Jazz as to who guards Kobe.

Utah is very team-oriented and doesn’t have a big scorer like Kobe or an athlete of that caliber to guard him. Jerry Sloan is a very good coach, and he’ll come up with a plan to give his team a chance in every game.

The Spurs’ opponent will be the New Orleans Hornets, which has to be one of the most impressive teams in the playoffs. They bounced Dallas in quick measure and have the entire city behind them.

This is also another young team – led by a tremendously talented point guard in Chris Paul. He is a great player in that he elevates his teammate’s game by having him on the floor. That is the sign of a special player.

What New Orleans has accomplished this season is phenomenal, but the Hornets are facing a tough test in the Spurs. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili are going to be tough to stop, really testing the front line of the Hornets.

Right now, if I had to pick, I would say we’re shaping up for a San Antonio-Los Angeles final in the West, with a Boston-Detroit final in the East.
Artis Gilmore

When you’re an underdog team in the NBA playoffs, usually the only people that believe you can win are the ones in your locker room. To pull off an upset, you must have confidence in yourself, your ability and your teammates.

I was in this situation several times during my career.  I remember once, we were playing the New York Knicks when I was in Chicago, and everyone expected them to beat us and battle Boston for the Eastern Conference title. But we felt like we could match up with them and went on to win the series before getting swept by Boston. Now, New York might have been a better matchup against Boston, but we had the confidence in ourselves to win the series.

Right now, we’re witnessing two teams that have a lot of confidence and, in the process, could pull out upsets that would shake up the Eastern Conference. With their series tied at two, it has become a best-of-three series.

With their win Monday, the Atlanta Hawks showed that they aren’t going away. They are a talented team, and they are going to give Boston all they can handle.

The Celtics have a little bit of fear now, and they aren’t as confident as they were earlier in the series. During the regular season, you run into terrific athletes, but you can overcome that in a one-game situation. Now in a series, Atlanta is blowing past them.

Atlanta is going to come into Boston confident, running and jumping all over the place. I still think Boston is going to win the series, but Atlanta is going to take the Celtics to the max.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, has locked up with Detroit, but it’s a much different situation than Atlanta’s. Detroit is a different kind of team than Boston. They are very, very physical and believe they can turn it on and off like a switch.

The 76ers awoke the Pistons and the switch is firmly on now. I don’t think Philly can go into Detroit and win another game since the Pistons have awakened from their slumber. Rasheed Wallace put on a display the other night – but it took him getting frustrated and a technical foul before he became mentally focused to play.

Orlando is the first team through to the conference semifinals. The Magic matched up well against Toronto, and that was a great help to win its first playoff series in 12 years. Whoever it plays next, Orlando will have trouble matching up at the guard position. The Magic has Dwight Howard, Hedu Turgolu and Rashard Lewis – three guys that can play with anyone. Their success in the next series will be determined by how those other two positions match up.

In the West, you have one team eliminated in Denver and another on the ropes in Dallas. Two years ago, Dallas was playing for the NBA title. Now, the Mavericks are one loss away from their second straight first-round exit. Last year, they focused on who they were playing too much and faced a hot team. This year, New Orleans has been at the top of the standings all season and played well. The Hornets have a lot of young players who found their identity, which is a tribute to head coach Byron Scott. He exemplifies leadership as a coach in the development of these players, as well as giving the freedom to Chris Paul to run the team on the floor.

Then look at Denver. Carmelo Anthony has become a cancer to that team. When things are going bad, you can’t call anyone on your team out. This game is all about confidence, and those kinds of things can shatter a player’s confidence.

The league wants the Lakers and Celtics to play for the title. The reality is there could be an incredible shakeup, as I’m not so sure that Phoenix is done yet despite playing a battle-hardened veteran team like San Antonio. Boston still has to win its first-round series for that to happen.
Artis Gilmore

In the NBA today, it’s the young players that are amazing me with how well they are playing at this high level of competition with little to no playoff experience.

During my era, there weren’t a lot of young players because you had to wait until your class graduated. Recently, you had a bunch of players go straight from high school to the NBA, and now these young players are raising their game to an all new level. The only truly young player that I remember was Moses Malone, who battled all the way to the highest court in the land for the right to play in the NBA.

With that as the background, I’ve really been impressed with Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic. I know I talked about him earlier, but he has led his team and really shouldered a lot of responsibility in taking his team to a 3-1 lead over Toronto. I had the opportunity to speak with him leading up to training camp briefly, and he explained to me his objectives and goals, leaving me with a whole new look at what kind of person and player he was and will be in the future.

Another young team that has everyone buzzing is the Philadelphia 76ers. Philly hasn’t played like a inexperienced team. They are motivated and fired up. These young kids are hungry and know they have to play well as a team to win games.

The other young team that has turned some heads is the Atlanta Hawks. The Celtics need to re-evaluate their performance and how they want to play versus a young and energized Atlanta team. The Hawks gained a lot of confidence, and there’s no question that they are a talented team. There’s a reason why they are in the playoffs. Atlanta raised its game in front of its home crowd, which was the first home playoff game in 10 years. It was amazing to watch such a young team come together against a great team like Boston, which is what makes the playoffs so much fun to follow.

As for my Spurs, they played good basketball the first two games and allowed Phoenix to make mistakes and take advantage of those opportunities. That is what championship teams do - take advantage of any and every opportunity.

In Sunday’s early game, Phoenix threw everything they could at San Antonio - even the kitchen sink! They took away some matchups away from San Antonio and posted up Boris Diaw, which greated some favorable matchups for Phoenix.

We had a question sent in asking if the trade the Suns made for Shaquille O’Neal was still a good move. There’s no doubt that Phoenix wants to play up-tempo basketball, but they also know that to win in the playoffs, you have to be able to score points in the half-court set. You’re not going to last long in the playoffs by going up and down the floor with teams playing little defense. With the trade made by the Lakers for Pau Gasol, it was a good idea to get a big man like Shaq who could help on the defensive end and be a go-to-guy in the half-court set.

It will be interesting to see how Phoenix handles Game 5, and if they can get it back home for a Game 6. They showed a lot of heart and courage today, which they will need a lot of to become the first team to rally from a 3-0 deficit.

Please feel free to post comments or any questions you have about the playoffs. I would love to hear from you guys and provide any insight I can.

–Artis Gilmore

The Spurs are one of those teams that when you make a mistake, they will make you pay.

Hello, everyone, and welcome to my blog about the NBA playoffs. I’m excited about providing insight and analysis about the march to the title in one of the best seasons in some time.

Why has it been so such a good season? What happened was, the NBA had become too young. You had all those kids who came to league early, and they have grown up a little bit. Then, throw in the trades of the well-known players to better situations — Shaquille O’Neal to Phoenix, Kevin Garnett to Boston and Pau Gasol to Los Angeles — and you create a thrilling atmosphere for competition.

Which brings us to the Western Conference. It’s going to be a terrific challenge to win the West. Think about it. The ninth-place team wins almost 50 games and isn’t going to the playoffs. You have teams playing 82 games, and the final one is just as meaningful to teams as they are all playing for seeding in the playoffs.

One of the extraordinary stories in the Western Conference is the emergence of the New Orleans Hornets. They had struggled the past few seasons, and now they are one of the top teams in the West, led by Chris Paul.

In the East, it has been quite some time since Boston had the honor of home-court advantage, and it’s going to help the ratings of NBA broadcasts to have one of the traditional powers contending for a championship. The Celtics have done a great job of rebuilding, from a last-place team to one that has the best record in the NBA.
There is going to be a lot of competition in the East. I think Boston is going to have some problems with Detroit, but the Celtics are the best-equipped team in the East to compete with the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

Both conferences are going to have tough, physical games every night. It’s going to make for some great theater in the coming weeks, and I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you.
Artis Gilmore

After an exciting day with the Jaguars, Paea visited with Jacksonville.com, sharing his thoughts on American football and his chance to see the city’s biggest sports franchise from behind the scenes:

Today was absolutely mad! The whole team went out to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ headquarters, and we took a tour of the players’ meeting and video room, the locker rooms, the equipment room and then the practice field and Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. It is easily the best activity we’ve had since we got here. The Jaguars are such a massive organization. We’re having our new training facility built in Redfern at the moment, and if it’s half as good as the Jags’ place, then we’ll all be very happy!

The gear the NFL players wear is pretty heavy, especially the helmets. I’m not sure how they run around with those things on. I think the fans will see some hits on Saturday in our game that compares to the NFL, and we don’t have any helmets or big shoulder pads.

We had a chance to pass the NFL balls around and try and catch some balls that came out of the ball machine. That thing could shoot the ball 70 yards downfield, no problems. It was pretty tough to catch some of those long bombs when you’re running deep, but it looks so easy on TV.

I can’t wait for the game on Saturday. The last time I played was mid-October for the Junior Kiwis team. Our training has been tough, but fun, but I’m ready to play now. We’ve been putting everything together and doing a lot of game-simulation training, and everything is looking pretty slick. I’ll be marking Rob Burrow, who’s the current Great Britain halfback, so that will be a great test for me. I’m looking forward to that.

If you haven’t got your tickets yet, make sure you get there. And if any of you NFL fans haven’t tried Rugby League yet, you should come to Sydney one day and have a game. We tried American football today, and it was great fun. You might like Rugby League, too.

After another good practice - and finally some good weather - Taylor visits with Jacksonville.com to share his thoughts on how his team looks so far and how some players are still adjusting to the long trip to the States.

Thank goodness the weather took a positive turn today. We were starting to think that the Florida weather we’d all heard about was a fallacy. It’s been pretty cold and wet for a few days, but today was beautiful weather. We’d all heard that Florida was great weather, so we’re all glad it took a turn for the better. We’ve just left the middle of summer back home in Sydney, where the weather is sensational and very warm, but we all thought we were in Canberra for a while, which is our nation’s capital city but is renowned for its poor weather.

We had a really great training session today. We were very crisp in all of our ball work sessions, and the team is working hard in conditioning and gym sessions. The boys are really starting to gear up for the game as it draws closer. Everyone is really looking forward to it.

It’s been four-and-a-half months since these guys have played footy, and we’ve been in pre-season training for three of those months, so it’s time to get out there and see where we’re at for our preparations for our opening season game on March 14 against our neighbors, the Sydney Roosters.

The one thing our team is struggling with is the time difference back to Sydney. Some of our players still haven’t fully adjusted to the change in times and are used to being awake in Sydney when it’s the middle of the night here. We’re doing our best to combat that and providing the players with information on how to handle it. I’m sure all will be good by game day.

I hope you’ve got your tickets already because I’m told they’re selling really well, so make sure you get them tomorrow because I think you’re going to see a great exhibition of Rugby League between my team, the Rabbitohs, and our opposition from Leeds on Saturday at UNF. Hope to see you there.

One of the funniest men ever to play Rugby League, “Deano” is looking at a career in politics or the media post-football. In his second posting on “Souths’ Side,” Widders talks about his experiences with the locals and the similarities to Jacksonville Beach and a spot back home:

I still can’t get over how friendly the people of Jacksonville are. I wasn’t sure if anyone would be interested in why we’re here playing this strange game called Rugby League, but the interest is enormous. There’s a lot of guys asking us about playing with no pads and what’s it like getting hit in that situation, and I keep telling them that they’ll need to come out to the game at UNF on Saturday and find out what this game is all about.

We’ve seen our opponents, the Leeds Rhinos, a couple of times this week. We had a combined team dinner on Sunday and listened to a motivational speaker, and then we both went down to Fionn MacCool’s for a fan night on Monday, which was great fun. I also got to catch up with a couple of mates of mine that I used to play with at a different club. I used to play with Scott Donald and Kylie Leuluai, who are now playing for Leeds, so it was good to see them before playing against them on Saturday.

We’ve been training really hard, and I’ve found sleeping difficult at times. I’m only getting three or four hours’ sleep each night, but I’m slowly adjusting so that should all be OK by game day.

The team is really hitting the stores since we’ve been here. The shopping has been excellent, and the guys have been stocking up on sports team gear and gifts for their friends and families back home.

Where we’re staying down on Jacksonville Beach really reminds me of one of our local beaches back home called Maroubra. There’s a real local feel to everyone in the town, and everyone seems to know each other. It’s like that in Maroubra, too, which is in the South Sydney area.

I hope everyone’s got their tickets for Saturday’s game as they are selling fast and we want to make sure as many people in Jacksonville get the chance to enjoy Rugby League as possible and make the game a sellout.